Chronology of the Crossbow

Added 6 January 1997, Revised 8 May 1997

A fair amount of the information on this page is from the chronology presented by W.F. Paterson in his book entitled A Guide to the Crossbow. I will add pieces of crossbow history as I find them. I will preface all of W.F. Paterson's historical notes with an asterisk (*). Other sources will be annotated were possible.

Note: I have changed Mr. Paterson's use of the classic 'BC' and 'AD' to 'BCE' (Before Common Era) and 'CE' (Common Era) respectively, in an attempt to secularize the terminology.

Chronology of Crossbows

*341 BCE --- Earliest reliable record of the use of the crossbow at the battle of Ma-ling in China.

*228 BCE --- Earliest factual evidence in the form of a bronze lock mechanism from the tomb of Yu Wang.